Teaching Program Alternative Permit

The Alternative Program Teaching Permit is issued to applicants who do not meet all requirements for a regular teaching certificate and is valid for teaching only in the Nebraska school system requesting the issuance of such permit. An Alternative Program Teaching Permit expires August 31 in the second year following the year of issuance. Please note, you will need to take additional courses through a college or university to be eligible for a full initial teaching certificate.

The requirements for an Alternative Program Teaching Permit include the following:

1. An application and fee in the TEACH system (Please note that registration for TEACH is required first; then an application can be submitted.)
2. Fingerprints (required only if someone has lived outside of Nebraska in the past five years)
3. Official Transcript(s) show the completion of a bachelor’s degree. All alternatives require a BA degree.
4. Submit an Alternative Program Teaching Permit form completed by a college or university. Please note that the form will be sent electronically to the college from within TEACH if attending a Nebraska college or university. If attending an out-of-state college or university, a paper copy will need to be sent in. This form should have your plan of study that you will need to complete to reach your full certification.
5. Have a job offer and the district has submitted a request for the alternative
6. Fulfill the requirements of one of the following pathways:

Pathway One*

1. Have completed at least one-half of the pre-student teaching requirements, including a course in teaching methods, of an approved program.
2. Have fulfilled at least three-fourths of the requirements for at least one subject or field endorsement. See Rule 24 for more details on what are the minimum requirements for the available endorsements.

Pathway Two

1. Have completed a state approved alternative program for teaching, which includes some education related coursework.
2. Educator Certificate – Submit a copy of a current regular teaching certificate from another state.
3. Employment Verification – Submit evidence that shows at least one year of teaching experience in the last five years in an approved, accredited or otherwise legally operated school in another state.

Pathway Three

1. Have completed a teacher education program at a standard institution of higher education.
2. Educator Certificate – Submit a copy of a current teaching certificate in good standing from another state.

Pathway Four*

1. Have earned and been awarded a baccalaureate degree, graduate degree, or professional degree from a college or university accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the United States Department of Education.
2. Pass any appropriate subject area examination as designated by the Board.

Pathway Five*

1. Earned a baccalaureate degree which includes at least three fourths of the course requirements for preparation in endorsement area.
2. Submit a written plan from the school system for mentoring and supervision.
3. Complete a pre-teaching seminar offered by an ESU or standard institution of higher education.
4. Submit an agreement with an educator preparation program from a Nebraska standard institution of higher education to complete the program for an initial teaching certificate.

Pathway Six

1. Completed an approved program at a standard institution of higher education.
2. Held a regular teaching or administrative certificate that has not been expire for more than five years.
3. Prior to expiration of the alternative permit, submit an official transcript showing the completion of 6 semester hours of education-related coursework from a standard institution of higher education.

Pathway Seven

1. Completed an approved program at a standard institution of higher education.
2. Have held a regular teaching or administrative certificate that has been expired for more than five years.
3. Prior to the expiration of the Alternative Permit, submit an official transcript showing the completion of 15 semester hours of education-related coursework from a standard institution of higher education outlined below:
   • a course in instructional techniques
   • a field experience consisting of one hundred or more clock hours of contact with students in the classroom setting, 50% of which shall consist of performing instructional duties.
   • a course or courses which address current issues in education, including but not limited to special education, gifted education, reading and writing in the content area and school law.
   • the remaining course work be directly related to the applicant’s content area on the expired certificate.

*You will need to take courses to meet both education requirements and endorsement requirements through the college or university. Just qualifying for the alternative does not get you to an initial teaching certificate.

More information on how to send supporting documents can be found in the FAQ section of this website.